| 
 Sri : 
Dear BhakthAs : 
Sep 14 was dedicated to a visit to ThirukkOshtiyUr 
, 
a dhivya dEsam closely linked to AchArya RaamAnujA's life 
. 
Azhwaar's 
ManagaLAsAsanams 
***************************************** 
The AchAryan of PeriyAzhwAr (Selva Nambi) 
 was a resident of  
this dhivya dEsam as well . This dhivya dEsa EmperumAn  
has recieved 39 Paasurams from 5 AzhwArs : PeriyAzhwAr , 
13-22 , 173 , 360-370 , Thirumangai 1550, 1838-1847 
, 1856 , 
2674(125) , Bhutham 2227, 2268 , pEy 2343 and 
Thirumazhisai 2415 .  
Location & Sthala 
VisEshams 
************************************** 
ThirukkOttiyUr ( ThriugghOshtiyUr ) is 21 miles 
from 
the dhivya dEsam of Thirumeyyam . The names of 
 
the dhivya dampathis at ThirukkOttiyUr are 
 
Sowmya NaarAyaNan and ThirumAmahaL respectively 
. 
DEvAs are said to have come here to conduct 
secret  
consultations in a batch (GhOshti) to 
strategize on ways 
to eliminate HiraNyan . Hence , the KshEthram 
is known 
as ThirukkOshtiyUr ( SrI GhOshtipuram ) . 
There are two  
fierce images of BhagavAn Ugra Narasimhan in 
the northern  
prakAram : (1) One where the Lord is in the form of 
chasing 
and catching HiraNyan and (2) Holding HiraNyan 
in His lap 
and tearing his chest and pulling out of his 
intestines  
in a great fit of anger over his apachAram 
to PrahlAdhan . 
These are exquisite pieces of sculpture , which 
were once 
in worship inside the temple . They were 
brought out  
with binnam to reduce the ugra nature of the 
Moorthams  
at a later date .  
The AshtAnga VimAnam  
************************** 
ThirukkOttiyUr VimAnam is the exquisite 
AshtAnga VimAnam , 
where the vimAnam is built in the form of four 
storeys .  
The gound floor has the sannidhi for Sayana 
Moorthy . 
The first floor houses the Lord in the standing 
poisture . 
The second floor , the Lord is seen in the 
sitting poisture . 
There is also a basement , where there is an 
archai of 
Narthana KrishNan . Thus , the Lord seen 
in this kshEthram  
in Sitting , standing , resting , walking and 
dancing  Poistures 
 
( irunthum , ninRum , kidanthum , nadanthum and 
kootthAdum 
roopams ).  
AchAryAs & ThirukkOttiyUr 
 
**************************** 
ThirukkOttiyUr Nambi was a disciple of 
Swamy 
AlavanthAr and one of the five AchAryans of 
 
Sri RaamAnuja . It was here , AchArya 
RaamAnujA 
travelled 18 times from Srirangam to 
recieve  rahasyArtha 
ManthrOpadEsam on Moola Manthram. For 17 times 
,  
ThirukkOttiyUr Nambi refused to instruct Sri 
RaamAnuja 
on the esoterics of the Moola Manthram and 
finally on 
the 18th round , Nambi relented and performed 
the upadEsam  
on condition that his upadEsam be kept 
absolutely  
confidential . There is a legend that Sri 
RaamAnuja  
went up the AshtAnga VimAnam and shouted the 
meanings of 
Moola Manthram to one and all so that they 
can also  
benefit from the knowledge about the esoteric 
meanings  
and be saved from SamsAric sufferings . There 
is a statue  
of AchArya RaaamAnujA at the site , wherefrom 
He is  
said to have performed the upadEsam for the 
crowd of  
aasthikAs assembled below in the court yard of 
the temple . 
Strict observers of the SampradhAyam would not 
agree 
that AchArya RaamAnuja rashly disobeyed his 
AchAryan's  
command . The view from the crawl space near 
AchArya 
RaamAnujA's statue is extraordinary . The 
surrounding  
countryside for 10 miles atleast are seen from 
there . 
It is an exerting journey up the VimAnam to 
reach  
this area and those who are of generous 
dimensions 
will experience stresses to get to this 
height and stand  
next to the AchAryan's statue . All the 
physical troubles 
to get there are worth it . One races back more 
than 
900 years in Sri VaishNavite History 
.    
After AchArya RaamAnuja , Sri ParAsara Bhattar came to  
ThirukkOttiyUr to spend some time away from the ChOLa king , 
who was the ruler of Srirangam territory . This king had committed  
an asahyApachAram to a Parama BhAgavathar and would not  
listen to Swamy  ParAsara Bhattar . The saddened Bhattar left 
Srirangam for sojourn in ThirukkOttiyUr until the king passed  
away as a result of a sudden disease . During his ThirukkOttiyUr 
 
stay , Bhattar missed so much the worship and sevai to Lord of 
Srirangam . He composed Sri Rangaraja Sthavam at ThirukkOshtiyUr 
to console himself over the unavoidable seperation from  
Sri RangarAjan . There are sanndhis for AchArya RaamAnujA and 
ThirukkOttiyUr Nambi here and one of the descendants 
of  latter  
is performing AarAdhanam today with the traditional Munkudumi  
( Poorva SikhA ) .  
( To be continued )  
Sri Sumya NaarAyaNa SWaminE Nama:    
Dasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan   
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